Crow's Nest February 24 2017

Friday, February 24, 2017

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University to open 41st campus location in Lenexa, Kan.

Park University, which has supported students from around the globe in pursuing their higher education dreams since 1875, will open a campus center location in Lenexa, Kan., for the start of the Fall 2017 semester. The University plans to begin operations in Lenexa in July, with classes starting Monday, Aug. 14. Park University President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., and City of Lenexa mayor Michael Boehm signed official documents during Lenexa’s city council meeting on Feb. 21. The University will have its Lenexa Campus at the Lenexa City Center inside the new city hall building, just west of 87th Street Parkway and I-435.

While the University has provided education opportunities for students in the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., for a number of years, the Lenexa location will be Park’s first physical campus in the State of Kansas. When the Lenexa Campus opens, the University will have 41 campus centers across the U.S., including 33 on military installations, as well as an extensive online program. Read more about the Lenexa Campus location and its offerings at www.park.edu/news/2017/02/lenexa-campus.html.

Park University earns honor as a Military Spouse Friendly School

For the third time in four months, Park University’s recognition and respect for the contributions military personnel make to the country, as well as the University’s long history of serving those who serve our country, has been commended.

Schools were surveyed and ranked based on how their admissions, retention, career counseling and mentoring programs are better for veterans, as well as how schools address concerns of military spouses and families, including flexible learning options and degree continuation to accommodate deployments and relocation. Read more about the recognition at www.park.edu/news/2017/02/military-spouse-friendly-honor.html.

Bode, Wilson earn promotions

Park University President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., has announced the promotion of Brian Bode to the position of chief financial officer. Bode began his new duties on Jan. 27. Bode had been serving as interim CFO since May 2016 after coming to Park in August 2015 when he was appointed controller. As chief financial officer, Bode oversees the financial and accounting operations of the University and the Parkville Commercial Underground (located on the University’s Parkville Campus), and is responsible for all fiscal services, including financial systems, reporting and controls, as well as fiscal policies and regulations. He is also responsible for ensuring the University has requisite financial resources, including cash management and borrowing agreements. Read more about Bode at www.park.edu/news/2017/02/bode-promoted-cfo.html.

In addition, the University has announced that Steve Wilson has been promoted to the position of associate athletic director for media relations and compliance. Wilson began his new duties on Feb. 1. Wilson is in his 10th year leading communication efforts for the University’s Department of Athletics. He leads an office that promotes student-athlete and departmental achievements, and coordinates fan experiences. He also oversees the Park athletics online and social media presence, including the University’s athletics website, www.parkathletics.com, and athletics broadcast portal, the Pirate Sports Network, www.parkathletics.tv. In addition to serving as the University’s athletics compliance officer, Wilson will also work with the University’s Academic Support Center to ensure student-athlete success in the classroom. Read more about Wilson at www.park.edu/news/2017/02/wilson-promotion.html.

University announces 2016-17 Pirates Rising class

The 2016-17 class of participants in Park University’s leadership program for full-time faculty and staff — Pirates Rising — has been announced. Pirates Rising, in its second year, is a yearlong program for employees who have been identified as high performers with leadership potential, and it will focus on recognizing and developing leadership skills that are in demand in higher education. The program consists of a series of sessions featuring discussions, readings, group activities and interactions with leadership experts, including faculty, trustees and local business leaders.

City of Parkville proclaims February 21 as “International Student Appreciation Day”

During the Feb. 21 City of Parkville, Mo., Board of Aldermen meeting, Park University was presented with an “International Student Appreciation Day” proclamation by Mayor Nan Johnston. The proclamation reads as follows: • Whereas, Park University has educated international students since 1880; • Whereas, Park University currently enrolls 256 international students from 51 countries; • Whereas, Park University’s international students have enhanced the academic reputation of the university through hard work and rigorous study; • Whereas, Park University’s international students have been engaged members of the Parkville community; • Whereas, Park University’s international students have enriched the community through artistic expression; • Whereas, Park University’s international students have volunteered to speak to elementary school students and participate in a range of community service projects; • Whereas, Park University’s international students have contributed significantly to the Parkville economy; • Whereas, Park University’s international students have become unofficial City of Parkville ambassadors throughout the world; • Therefore, let it be resolved that the City of Parkville declares February 21, 2017, as International Student Appreciation Day and commends Park University’s international students for all their contributions to the city.

Park earns military friendly and MBA rankings from websites

Park University was ranked by OnlineSchoolsCenter.com on its list of the “Top 30 Military Friendly Online Schools.” According to the website, the ranking is based on cost and convenience, as well as inclusiveness and support of both military personnel and their families, Schools on the list are widely recognized as providing the best possible online educational opportunities and support for military students and their families.

Debra Olson-Morrison, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work, co-authored a manuscript, “A Qualitative Exploration of African Adolescent Refugees’ Attachment Relationships” in the fall issue of the Journal of Comparative Family Studies. The article reflects data from a grant-funded project researching adolescent refugees’ experiences of trauma and attachment within the first two years of settling in the U.S. from war-torn areas of Africa.

Debra Sheffer, Ph.D., and professor of history, presented a discussion on “The Buffalo Soldiers: Their Epic Story and Major Campaigns” on Feb. 12 in Kansas City Mo. Sheffer’s talk reviewed the impetus for the earliest black military service — enlistees hoped to attain full U.S. citizenship — and its legacy, assessing the social, economic and political impact from colonial times through the era of the 19th-century Buffalo Soldier.

An interview featuring the director and combatants related to the “Disturbing the Peace” film and discussions that Park University co-hosted on Feb. 7 and Feb. 9, aired on KSHB-TV’s “Kansas City Live” program on Feb. 7. Another story also aired on KSHB’s “The Now KC” program in advance of the Feb. 7 program.

An article about Park University’s response to President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27, Executive Order, “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” appeared in The (Platte County, Mo.) Landmark on Feb. 8. The article included comments from Park President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D.

Park University was ranked in a Chronicle of Higher Education list published on Feb. 10. Park was ranked No. 15 among private, nonprofit institutions in the U.S. on the list of “4-Year Colleges with the Most Distance-Education-Only Students, Fall 2014.”

Park University was highlighted in a series of stories that appeared in a special “Education” section of The Kansas City Star on Feb. 19. Park was highlighted in a full-page advertisement as well as a featured advertorial article. In addition, Jackie Campbell, director of Park’s Master of Business Administration program, was quoted in two articles related to how college professors must possess academic and practical knowledge, and on flexible learning spaces becoming the new normal.

Park University was ranked as the No. 2 private college/university in Kansas and Missouri, based on undergraduate enrollment in fall 2016, according to a ranking in the February issue of Ingram’s, Kansas City’s business magazine.

Park University is a private, non-profit, institution of higher learning since 1875.

Park University admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and athletic and other school-administered programs.